Ducati official Iannone will continue to regret his fall during free practice for the San Marino Grand Prix during which he injured a vertebra. A physical damage which ruled him out of the race in Misano and the following event in Aragon. Alas, the same will be true for Japan.
Whoever will be a Suzuki rider in 2017 therefore records his third withdrawal of the year, but the Ducati press release assures us, it will be to come back stronger at Phillip Island from October 21. The same Ducati factory specifies that its rider will not be replaced so all efforts will be focused on Andrea Dovizioso.
There will therefore be neither Pirro and no more than Stoner in place of the winner of the Austrian Grand Prix. Last year at Motegi, the Ducati qualified fourth and fifth with Dovizioso in the lead and it was the latter who brought the Desmosedici to the finish, in the top 5, while Iannone had given up.
It will be recalled that this Japanese Grand Prix will see the return from injury of Jack Miller and Bradley Smith. Andrea Iannone is eighth in the championship with the same 96 points asHector Barbera.
